South Texas Health System is Launching its Annual Cinco De Mammo Initiative to Encourage Valley Women to Prioritize Their Breast Health
While October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, raising awareness and increasing education on the life-threatening disease should be reserved for a single month, especially since American women get breast cancer more than any other kinds of cancer except for skin cancer, per the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
In an effort to continuously highlight the risk factors of breast cancer and promote early detection to help save lives, South Texas Health System has designated May as Cinco de Mammo, a monthlong initiative aimed at promoting the importance of getting an annual mammogram, which is considered the international gold standard for detecting breast cancer early, according to the National Cancer Institute.
The STHS Cinco De Mammo screening options include a 2D digital mammogram for $100, a 3D digital mammogram for $155 and a bone density screening for $155. Additionally, complimentary light food and refreshments will be served as each facility during their designated Cinco de Mammo Monday celebrations. Dates are as follows:
May 6: STHS McAllen
May 13: STHS Edinburg
May 20: STHS ER Mission
May 27: STHS ER Weslaco
Breast Cancer Screenings at STHS
For more information on breast cancer screenings at South Texas Health System and to register for a mammogram, visit CincoDeMammo.com. Walk-in appointments are accepted, but pre-registration is highly encouraged. To make an appointment, you can call the pre-registration line at (956) 388-2190.
Breast cancer accounts for about 30% of all new female cancers each year, per the American Cancer Society, with nearly 300,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer predicted to be diagnosed in 2024 and about 43,700 women projected to succumb to breast cancer in this year.
Many women with breast cancer show no early symptoms, making regular breast cancer screenings vital. Mammograms can usually find lumps 2 or 3 years before you or your primary care provider can feel them, according to health experts. Caught early, when the cancer is small and hasn’t spread, breast cancer is considered easier to treat successfully.
To help Valley women take the necessary preventative steps to detect breast cancer early, South Texas Health System is offering mammograms at reduced cost throughout the month of May at four of its facilities: STHS McAllen, STHS Edinburg, STHS ER Mission and STHS ER Weslaco.
Per American Cancer Society recommendations, women ages 40 to 44 have the option to screen with a mammogram every year, women 45 to 55 should get mammograms every year and women 55 and older can switch to a schedule of every other year.
"I encourage women to schedule their mammograms and take advantage of these special cash prices that South Texas Health System is offering during the month of May because you just never know,” said Charlie Aguirre, Director of Radiology Services, STHS McAllen. “Encourage your friends and family to get their mammogram, if they haven’t had one in a while, because no one want to see their loved ones go through a challenging ordeal."